Feeding the proper diet and using all natural supplements are the best way to keep your senior pets happy and healthy.

Dogs are living to a much older age than they did 30 years ago. There are many key factors contributing to this including making better choices for our pets and veterinary care, but one of the most important factors is better nutrition. When a beloved pet ages their dietary needs change as well. They are going to be less active and need a warm comfortable bed. In addition, they might start to develop conditions associated with old age such as kidney failure or heart disease. For all of these reasons, special care must be given to their diet.

Feeding the proper diet and using all natural supplements are the best way to keep your senior pets happy and healthy. Dogs begin to show visible age-related changes at about eight to twelve years of age. There are metabolic, immunologic and body composition changes, too. When feeding your older dog, the main objective should be to maintain health and optimum body weight. Most senior dogs do well on a grain free and chicken free diet.

One of the most common pitfalls dog parents should watch out for is overfeeding. Attempts to shower our dogs with love by means of big meals and lots of tasty treats are sweet, but misguided. In dogs, as with humans, extra weight can lead to health problems. Be sure to indulge your four-legged friend with affection, not food!

As with most species, aging brings a general decline in immune system function, a decline in the total number of cells in an animal, and an increase in the ratio of fat to lean tissue.

Aging dogs have special nutritional needs, and some of those can be supplied in the form of supplements. Omega-3 is very sensitive to heat and light. The processing of commercial pet food renders much needed nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids useless. Technically they are still in the food, but they’re no longer active or helpful to your pet’s body. Chances are, no matter what you’re feeding your dog, unless you’re supplementing daily, he’s probably not getting the nutrient amounts he needs. I recommend supplementing with a whole body supplement; I use Wapiti Labs Senior Mobility. It is a natural supplement that supports the hips & joints, liver, kidney, and immune system. It also gives them more energy naturally.

Great information for us as a pet owners and pet sitters. It’s hard to watch our pet friends grow old and change, but it is good to know that we can help them through the use of supplements.
Thanks again for the info – I’ll be sure to share with friends and clients!

Please note that grain free diets are not always the best. The use of ingredient splitting in commercial dog food and overuse of legumes to increase the protein content has led some dogs to develop dilated cardiomyopathy which is diet induced. UC Davis recently conducted a study in dogs supporting and verifying this.